1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for regulating the temperature of a plurality of components of a vehicle and to a vehicle system that has the device for temperature control.
2. Description of the Background Art
In vehicles, such as hybrid vehicles or electric vehicles, when modern high-performance batteries are used it must be ensured that the temperature of the batteries during operation is within a certain interval in order to guarantee the efficiency, operational reliability and safety of the batteries. On the one hand, the efficiency of the battery cells of the batteries declines very sharply if a suitable operating temperature is fallen below and the cells produce a high power dissipation. On the other hand, above a suitable operating range processes that lead to irreparable damage take place inside the cells. For these reasons battery temperature control, i.e., cooling or heating, is necessary. Furthermore, an air conditioning of the vehicle cabin is frequency necessary, i.e., the heating and cooling of the vehicle interior, depending on the applicable environmental conditions. Also further components, such as electric components, for example, require a temperature control. For regulating the temperature of the different components, heat transfer fluids, such as refrigerant, coolant, air, etc. are generally used. Thermal management plays an important role in hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles as well as in the off-highway field.
For various vehicle components a heating as well as a cooling must be provided. The plurality of components to be temperature regulated and the interaction thereof as well as the necessity of a simultaneous representation of heating and cooling for different components depending on environmental, operating and marginal conditions, result in a complex temperature control task.
To meet all temperature control requirements, several cooling circuits and heating circuits are often used, which are either operated independently of one another or can also be in interaction with one another. The complexity of the thermal management with the different components to be temperature regulated and the interactions thereof requires a broad and well-founded knowledge for designing a suitable, functional temperature control system.